Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation

by Linas Alsenas, Linas Alsenas (Illustrator)

Overview

In this funny, sweet, and charming picture book debut, Mrs. Claus leaves the snow (and her husband) behind in order to see the world... and get back in time for Christmas.

Mrs. Claus needs to get out of the house. The endless snow at the North Pole is getting her down. And she doesn't see why her husband should get all the travel time in the family. So she hitches up the reindeer and takes a world tour -- leaving Santa to take care of himself (and the remaining reindeer) for the first time in a long time. Mrs. Claus loves traveling the globe... but she also misses Santa as much as Santa misses her. Will she be home in time for Christmas? We'll give you one guess...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338874648
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	09/06/2022
Sold by:	Scholastic, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	12 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

Linas Alsenas has written and illustrated a number of books, including Peanut and Hello My Name Is Bob. Raised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, he lived in New York City and Stockholm, Sweden, before settling in London. Today Linas spends his weekdays working as a children’s books editor at Scholastic UK, and he spends his weekends exploring the English countryside with his husband and their two kids. Visit Linas at linasalsenas.com.

Editorial Reviews

In his debut, Alsenas offers a modern Mrs. Claus and an expressive Santa with a range of emotions that extends beyond jolly. As the story opens, Mrs. Claus is pale and overworked for good reason-she's "never taken a vacation in her life," poor woman! When she decides that it's now her turn to enjoy some world travels, she leaves Santa at home with the cat and takes off with the sleigh and a single reindeer. Subsequent spreads alternate between her travel adventures (sunbathing at a beach resort, folk dancing in Scandinavia, eating sushi in Japan) and Santa's lonely preparations for Christmas back home at the North Pole. (The elves are apparently too busy in the toy factory to help.) Just before the holiday, Mrs. Claus flies home to a warm welcome from her newly appreciative husband, who invites her to accompany him on his Christmas Eve journey. This quietly told story offers some insights into the value of traveling to new places, how it feels to be the one left behind and the meaning of shared experiences. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

"Santa's hangdog expression contrasts with his wife's snazzy smile as newcomer Alsenas depicts their separate pursuits (e.g., first-time gingerbread baking for him, reading romance novels on the beach for her) in a series of humorous, well-chosen scenes." — Publishers Weekly

"Alsenas's wry, folksy illustrations alternate between cozily framed images of the domesticated Santa and full-bleed, double-page spreads of Mrs. Claus following her bliss (on the beach and at a sushi bar, for example). The story's home-is-where-the-heart-is sentiment will resonate with frequent fliers and armchair travelers alike." — The Horn Book

"In his debut, Alsenas offers a modern Mrs. Claus and an expressive Santa with a range of emotions that extends beyond jolly... This quietly told story offers some insights into the value of traveling to new places, how it feels to be the one left behind and the meaning of shared experiences." — Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher